


Be Still, Dude

by Arcwin



Series: Ficlets [8]
Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: Amanda keeps them all in line, Fluff, Gen, Martin is Martin, Rowdy 3 shenanigans, Vogel is adorable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-10 18:03:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20855969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arcwin/pseuds/Arcwin
Summary: Amanda and the 3 are chilling in the desert, looking up at the night sky. No major conflict, just them being cute.





	Be Still, Dude

Sound travels really fucking far when you’re in the desert, in case you didn’t know. Like, real fucking far. Way farther than in the city. I guess it’s cause there aren’t all the buildings and trees and shit to stop it, right? It’s just sand, and rocks, and some cacti, and those mountains that always seem like they’re way off on the horizon, even if you walk towards them. Sometimes it seems like they’re just a backdrop, like a painting someone did for a sound stage. The desert’s weird like that.

It’s the perfect place for us, though. Not a lot of people hang out in the desert. I mean, I get it. It’s hot during the day and colder than I ever thought it would be at night. There’s not a lot of food, or water, although Martin and the others don’t really need food, so it doesn’t matter much to them. They know I do, though, so we stopped at a grocery store near Vegas to grab stuff. It’s not exactly the same as cooking at home, but it’s not too bad, either. Plus, I never have to worry about someone not liking something. It’s just me.

Anyway, it’s crazy being out here. Like I said, sound travels really fucking far. Things seem like they’re gonna be close, but in fact they’re like miles away. Coyotes, wolves, snakes,  _ people _ \--all the stuff we really don’t feel like dealing with--we hear them all the time. Vogel always gets so scared, clutching his bat and cowering against me or Martin the moment there’s a weird sound. 

“I heard something,” he says with a whimper.

“S’ just a wolf,” Martin grumbles back. He seems cranky, but he’s pretty protective of everyone. Sort of the leader, I guess. Although he usually defers to me, especially when it comes to making smart decisions about where we should sleep or get food for me. 

“But I heard it,” Vogel argues. 

“I have an idea,” I say, popping up from my place around the fire to go rummage in the van. Under a pile of bricks and glass bottles I find exactly what I need--the quilt I brought from my house when Martin asked me to go off with them. Yanking it free (and sending some bottles and bricks flying), I bring it out near the front of the van and lay it flat. “Come here Vogel, Martin,” I command, gesturing for them to join me. Gripps and Cross are already asleep next to the fire, cuddling each other and snoring loudly. My friends walk over to me as I lay down, staring up at the sky. “Come on,” I encourage them, patting the blanket next to me.

They look at each other, then nod and join me on the ground, each curled into my side. The breeze along the top of the desert floor is deceiving, at first feeling warm and then fading into a biting chill. I’m glad they’re next to me--dudes are always warmer for some reason. We snuggle together, happy to share warmth, and I point up at the sky with a free hand. 

“See that?” I say, tracing the path of the constellation. “It’s Leo.”

“I don’t know any Leo,” Vogel says quietly, confused.

“No, not a person. The astronomical sign. You know, like, your birthday is in August so your sign is Leo,” I explain. For as noisy as the desert can be, it’s dead silent. Like graveyard silent. Like awkward prom dance silent. “Fuck, you guys don’t know about this, huh?” 

“Don’t know birthdays,” Martin says gruffly. Of course. 

“Man, fuck Blackwing!” The rage swells within me, making my cheeks hot. Martin inhales next to me, sensing the energy, then sucks a little through the air until it subsides. 

“Better calm down there little girl,” he mutters into my ear. 

“Show me the Leo again,” Vogel asks, squirming more into my side. 

Not bothering to hide my smile, I point up at the night sky again. “Be still, dude. There’s more than just Leo in the sky. Look, here’s the Big Dipper,” I say as I trace the constellation with my fingertip. Vogel’s finger joins mine, tracing the lines with me. 

“What’s it dippin’ into?” he asks. Then, he shifts gears immediately. “I found a triangle! Is there a triangle one?”

“I found a big ol’ circle,” Martin adds, sweeping his hand in a wide arc. 

“Sure,” I say with a giggle. Forgetting about the cold, hard desert floor beneath us, we focus on the stars, finding all sorts of pictures and patterns that definitely aren’t legit but are totally more fun. The fire next to us slowly burns down, the heat radiating out but the light getting more and more dim as the night gets darker. Next to me, Vogel’s voice gets softer until he’s barely murmuring, the words not making any sense at all. Then, his arm drops to his side and he lets out a rumbly snore. On the other side, Martin sniggers, then wraps his arm around my torso and tucks his nose into the side of my neck.

“G’night,” he mumbles as his arm gets heavy and he drifts to sleep.

Cocooned between my boys, life ain’t so bad. And yeah, the desert is still pretty fucking cold at night, but with these two next to me, I think I can find it in me to sleep. In the distance, a coyote yips, the sound clearly trapped somewhere off in the mountains on the horizon. 

Yeah, life ain’t so bad now that it’s me and the 3.


End file.
